The Pittsburgh Steelers defense didn’t have an answer for the 26th ranked Detroit Lions rushing attack on Sunday.
Rookie Jemar Jefferson ripped off a 28-yard touchdown run — the longest by the Lions in eight years — before exiting the game with an ankle injury.
Jefferson didn’t return, but that didn’t matter because D’Andre Swift picked up where he left off and racked up 130 yards. Godwin Igwebuike added 56 yards and a score.
In total, the Steelers’ porous run defense allowed 229 yards on 39 carries, an average of 5.9 yards per attempt for Detroit’s first 200+ yard game since 2018.
“They came up with a good plan,” Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith said after the game. “But we gotta handle ourselves. Stopping the run is about whipping the man and making the tackle. Today was unacceptable. We can bet better, and we will be better.”
Highsmith had a solid game overall and, according to Pro Football Focus, produced the most tackles on defense with seven. But the ball wasn’t the only thing that was slippery out there. Missed tackles — eight total — were the downfall of the defense. Miles Killebrew whiffed on two, while Cameron Sutton, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Devin Bush, Cam Heyward, Derrek Tuszka and Highsmith each missed one.
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